Holt SAC Xmas Open and Town Team Challenge (Report)

Saturday 23rd December 2017 - Kelling

 

 

The Holt SAC Xmas Open & Town Team Challenge match was held at KELLING via the Muckleburgh Collection on SATURDAY 23RD DECEMBER fishing 10:00 to 3:00 with High Water at 9:22 on a small tide of 4.2m. Forecast for the day was a bit murky at the start merging into clear blue skies as the day progressed with a chilly fresh south west wind which was just about spot on. The Sea was almost flat with a slight 1-2ft swell and plenty of colour raising hopes of those stonking Whiting.

 

An excellent turn out which seems to be the norm for this match when there are no clashes with other Opens. As usual, plenty from Suffolk and beyond, the usual Cambs. contingent, a heathy clutch of the Humber boys, a few from West Norfolk and round the corner and surprisingly a good number of local Club Members. Many thanks to all for their continued support of this match.

 

Pegging for this one was Zone A from the end of the small cliff towards the block house at Kelling with Zone B under the small cliff and towards the wreck at Weybourne.

 

 

Pay out was to one Overall winner and four placings in each of the two Zones with the Overall winner being excluded. This made the pay out fairer if all of the top weights were in one Zone. There was also one heaviest Flat & one Round pay out plus the usual optional Super Pools. This match was also the Town Team Challenge where all anglers were split into teams of 4 or 5 dependent on where possible their home abode. Points were awarded from Zone positions and the best 4 scores counted with the winning team taking the Club’s Town Challenge Shield. No money at stake here just bragging rights!

 

From the whistle rods started to rattle immediately for some and expectations were high with buckets being filled from the off. However, it was soon obvious that it was going to be a Dab fest as Dab after Dab start to come up the beach and recorded. Well, the problem was that although they were giving cracking rattles they were not monsters in fact the majority were undersize (less than 18cm) much to the frustration of everyone. Particularly, as treble shot after treble shot of these miniature specimens were coming ashore further adding to this frustration. There were probably so many carpeting the seabed that none of the expected Whiting had a chance to get to the bait first.

 

However, for some it was quiet for the first hour and then fish after fish followed by another barren spell. This seems to typify this venue where there is just no pattern to where the fish are or when they will appear. At the start there was high expectation of serious numbers of fish particularly with the dishing out of extra cards but this did not materialise with no one creeping onto that card. Those miniature Dabs prevailed and spoilt the party with just a handful of Whiting and those stonking specimens no existent

 

In the end it was those that could find some better quality numbers of fish who would prevail and it was CRAIG BUY & Mutt who did just this, taking victory with 8lb 14oz from 47 fish. Fishing Peg 27 almost opposite the access gate he used his bucketful of “splits” to find a rare 30cm along with 25cm 28cm Whitings at the start and then some quality Dabs up to 27cm at the end.

 

In the Zones it was DAVE ALDOUS (Peg 12) who took Zone A with 8lb 1oz from 48 fish and 2nd place Overall. He managed to find a source of Dabs at relatively close range, the majority very small but did have one of 29cm to boost his score by 28 points. 2nd in Zone A was MIKE WATTS (Peg 9) with 7lb 8oz from 44 fish and 4th place Overall. 3rd in Zone was CHARLIE FRARY (Peg 14) with 7lb 7oz from 47 fish and 5th= Overall. 4th in Zone was KARL NANGLE (Peg 4) with 6lb 13oz from 37 fish and 8th= Overall.

 

With the winner excluded from the Zone pay out Zone B was taken by default by KEITH MORLEY (Peg 42) with 7lb 13oz from 46 fish and 3rd place Overall. Lots of small Dabs but his score was boosted by 27 & 28cm Dabs. 2nd in Zone B was GARRY HUTSON (Peg 44) with 7lb 7oz from 43 fish and 6th= Overall. 3rd in Zone B was TONY SEELEY (Peg 41) with 7lb 4oz from 44 fish and 7th=Overall. 4th in Zone was tied by RICHARD JACOBS (Peg 43) and MARK SHARMAN (Peg 25) both with 6lb 13oz from 39 and 42 fish respectively and 8th= Overall.

 

Heaviest Flat was a 33cm (15oz) Flounder taken by RODNEY MILLS (Peg 30). Heaviest Round was a 31cm (7oz) taken by TONY SEELEY (Peg 41). Altogether 1354 fish (1295 Dabs, 55 Whiting and 4 Flounders) weighing 224lb 6oz.

 

The Club match was taken by KEITH MORLEY with MIKE WATTS 2nd and CHARLIE FRARY 3rd.

 

This was also a SAMF Masters Qualifier of which 20 entered and 7 have Qualified who are listed at the end.

 

The Town Team Challenge Shield was easily won by LOWESTOFT with 18 points followed by CAISTER with 26 points and ELY with 35 points. The winning team comprising of CRAIG BUY, JOHN CARTER, CHARLIE FRARY, MARK GOOCH and MARK SHARMAN. In the Caister team was RICHARD JACOBS, GARY MEDLER, KEITH MORLEY, PAUL TOVELL and BARRY STONE. The Ely team comprised of PAUL DENHOLM, PAUL HARVEY, RICHARD LING, IAN NELSON and MIKE WATTS. Well done to the winners and all the teams that participated.

 

 

Another very interesting match which demonstrated how quickly the dynamics of this sport can change. On another day a match such as this at this venue would have produced a bucket full of pins to stonking Whiting but not in this one where the Dabs were in control. 1300 of them and there were probably half as many again under 18cm and probably why the Whiting were not having a look in at the bait. It will be interesting to see how this changes at the NEW YEAR OPEN on MONDAY 1ST JANUARY fishing 10:00-3:00 at the same venue with LW at 12:15 4.9m which is around the bottom instead of all the ebb. Finally, after the match we had a complaint about an angler not using a bucket and throwing fish back from the top of the bank when the sea was a long way from the bank. Will everyone please remember that buckets must be used at all times and fish must be returned ”in a manner to ensure they are actually in the water”. In future Club Open matches anyone breaking these rules will be disqualified.

 

Finally, we must thank all competitors for their outstanding very generous contributions to the amazing raffle prize table. It is very much appreciated by the Club and the proceeds will go to the running of future events by the Club, once again thank you … Happy New Year … Tony T

 

Top 10 Individuals (on the day) …

 

1...Craig Buy...........8lb..14 oz ....(47.Fish)

2...Dave Aldous.......8lb.. 2/3oz...(48.Fish)

3...Keith Morley.......7lb..13 oz   ...(46.Fish)

4...Mike Watts.........7lb..8oz .......(44.Fish)

5=.Charlie Frary…….7lb..6 2/3oz..(47.Fish)

5=.Garry Hutson…...7lb..6 2/3oz…(43.Fish)

7...Tony Sealey.......7lb..3 2/3oz...(44.Fish)

8=.Richard Jacobs….6lb..12 2/3oz.(39.Fish)

8=.Karl Nangle........6lb..12 2/3oz.(37.Fish)

8=.Mark Sharman..6lb..12 2/3oz.(42.Fish)

 

Town Team Challenge Result …

 

1...Lowestoft.........18 points

2...Caister.............26 points

3...Ely...................35 points

4...Ipswich.............38 points

5...Grimsby…………….42 points

6=.Holt…................44 points

6=.Woodbridge……..44 points

8...Saxmundham…..48 points

 

SAMF Qualifiers for Masters 2018 ...

 

Craig Buy

Dave Aldous

Keith Morley

Charlie Frary

Karl Nangle

Henry Randell

Lee Caley

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